A N A D V E N T U R E I N R E N S I N G

When I was living in New England, the U.S., I was accepted into the art residency program of Rensing Center located at a small county in South Carolina. At that time, almost everyone told me that South Carolina was one of the most conservative states with many crude “rednecks”. However, I decided to take the chance to continue my art creation.

As imagined, the county barely had foreigners. Also, since there is no public transportation and no stores within walking distance, I had to take a ride with other people to a local flee market every Wednesday for grocery shopping. For the first time in the market, surrounded by the southern-style English, I suddenly felt that I was like an alien with my Asian face and long black hair.

Yet, to complete my grocery shopping, I

carefully went for a stand selling fresh goat milk, organic vegetable and several grenades. My

curiosity also drove me to try bargaining for antique gadgets, such as a 1800s

tin type photo. Actually, as I became more open to

them, the distinct accents and looks turned to be

advantages in bargaining and making friends.

In the residency program, I met the artists who had multiple identities such as sound artist, textile maker, poet, film professor, environmentalist and gay rights activist. As the only person from China, I was always the one to be friendly asked questions.

The Movie Night was the first gathering I joined in Rensing. The residency director invited her old friends to watch the film Good Morning Vietnam, which truly brought them back to youth, and stirred their complex emotions. As a veteran and film professor, Bill was curious about my opinion. However, I could not be a representative of Asian or Chinese as he expected. Also, I regretted that I had lacked serious thought on Vietnam war as a young individual living in peace. Luckily, I was impressed by the sharing of their real-experiences on which I reflected a lot after the discussion.

As I got used to responding to numerous questions, I also became a active questioner. The collision of ideas from different disciplines and cultures pushed me to think of issues that I had used to ignore.

In Rensing Center, I met a lot of interesting people: an environmentalist who managed a public organic garden, an architect who tried to build the smallest house with full functions, a paper-making artist who was doing mind-cure for veterans by engaging them with his papermaking, and so forth. Meanwhile, they valued my experiences and perspectives from my eastern culture, western education and family background.

For the time in Rensing, what I most appreciate is not overcoming culture shock and inconvenience of country life, but finding out that people care each side of the society and sincerely devote to specific issues by their own ways. I hope I could also use my specialty to make a change for a corner of the world.

This four-month residency program was such a gift that I could have an opportunity to slow down my life, communicate by heart and think on my social value.

Right before the Christmas in 2014,

I left Rensing Center for my new journey in San Francisco.